Hormel Foods deployed o9’s AI planning platform across 70+ dry and refrigerated sites between March–December 2025 to improve demand forecasting, reduce manual overrides, and optimize inventory and truckload decisions. Led by new CSO Will Bonifant, the initiative supports a shift from supply-led to demand-driven planning across brands like Spam and Applegate. Gartner projects 70% of large enterprises will adopt such AI forecasting tools by 2030. Implementation involved Accenture and targets improved service levels, seasonal accuracy, and cross-channel alignment.
According to www.supplychaindive.com, Hormel Foods implemented o9 Solutions’ AI-powered planning platform between March and December 2025 across more than 70 sites spanning its dry and refrigerated supply networks. The deployment supports demand forecasting, inventory alignment, and logistics optimization for a complex portfolio that includes Spam, Applegate, Planters, deli meats, ethnic cuisines, and shelf-stable and refrigerated grocery products.
Strategic Shift to Demand-Driven Planning
Hormel’s Chief Supply Chain Officer Will Bonifant — who joined the company in March 2025 after serving as VP of manufacturing, engineering and supply chain strategy at Hershey — stated:
“By connecting demand, supply, and inventory decisions in one streamlined platform, we are shifting from reactive problem-solving to more proactive, data-driven planning. We believe this will strengthen our ability to operate consistently, serve customers more reliably, and ultimately, drive additional growth across our brand portfolio.” — Will Bonifant, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Hormel Foods
Operational Capabilities Enabled
The o9 platform provides Hormel with several integrated capabilities, including:
- AI-driven demand forecasting that models key demand drivers (e.g., promotions, seasonality, retail events) and reduces reliance on manual forecast overrides
- Improved seasonal forecast accuracy — critical for perishable and time-sensitive product lines
- System-recommended inventory transfers to balance stock levels across distribution tiers
- Truckload optimization accounting for weight, volume, and stackability constraints
- Real-time demand signal integration to align supply, inventory, and allocation decisions across retail, foodservice, and international channels
Accenture supported the implementation as part of Hormel’s broader “growth-oriented pivot from a supply-led value chain to a demand-driven value chain,” according to Adheer Bahulkar, Accenture’s global supply chain lead for consumer industries.
Industry Context and Practitioner Implications
This move reflects a broader industry acceleration toward AI-enabled demand planning. Gartner projects that 70% of large enterprises will adopt AI-driven forecasting tools by 2030. Hormel joins peers like PepsiCo, Unilever, and Nestlé — all of which have publicly disclosed deployments of o9 or similar platforms (e.g., ToolsGroup, Blue Yonder) to manage SKU complexity, reduce forecast error, and improve service levels amid volatile demand signals.
For supply chain professionals, Hormel’s rollout underscores three practical implications: First, AI planning is no longer limited to pilot phases — it is being scaled across multi-temperature, multi-tier distribution networks. Second, success hinges on cross-functional alignment: the platform integrates IBP (integrated business planning) workflows, requiring close coordination between demand planning, procurement, manufacturing, and logistics teams. Third, vendor selection now prioritizes interoperability: Hormel’s use of demand signals to synchronize decisions highlights the need for systems that unify ERP, WMS, TMS, and point-of-sale data without heavy custom coding.
Hormel declined to comment for the original article but confirmed progress during its December 4, 2025 earnings call. President and Director John Ghingo noted the company was implementing AI-enabled tools like o9 and streamlining processes including integrated business planning, adding:
“Enhanced data access, cutting-edge technology and modernized workflows are reinventing nearly every aspect of our business, across all aspects of our supply chain, cross-functional collaboration and all the way to the physical and digital shelf.” — John Ghingo, President and Director, Hormel Foods
Source: Supply Chain Dive
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
